Review Blog

Oct 15 2013

The skull by Christian Darkin

A & C Black, 2013. ISBN 978 1 4081 9297 9
(Age: 11+) The Skull is the story of the Marchant family - from the
1100's to the future of 2200. The first Marchant, Alfred,
discovers a giant skull, considered a dragon or a demon by the
religious village he lives in. The author informs the reader it is a
megalosaurus skull. Alfred witnesses a murder and is accused of
being a witch so the skull is entombed. Over the next 1000 years,
different generations of Marchants have contact with the skull,
causing some sort of change for the family.
It is a quick moving story, dedicating a chapter to each generation
and I would recommend it to independent readers aged 11+ due to the
story changing to different periods of time. Good comprehension is
needed and it would probably be enjoyed more by boys. The main
characters are all Marchant males.
The story is a mixture of history and science and the changing ideas
as man becomes more educated and less superstitious.
Kylie Kempster